Fred Ham - Three Flags Run

[sny]

Hello,
Did Fred Ham do his 1936 three flags run from Canada to Mexico on a VL or a knucklehead? The Flatheads book by Jerry Hatfield says VL but a motorcyclemuseum.org webpage says it was a 1935 (?) knucklehead.

[Rubone]

Ham rode a new '37 model EL OHV for the Endurance run at Muroc, he rode a VL on the three flags, same as he did on the Big Bear.

His '33 Big Bear Trophy

[sny]

Thanks Rubone. I was hoping it was a VL! I want to do a three flags ride on my 32 next year starting from Blaine like he did. The Big Bear run is also interesting! I grew up right along that route in the Mojave desert. Where is that trophy at?

[Rubone]

Here is some definitive proof. Also the article published in "The Motorcyclist". The ad is in the Oct issue, the article in the September, both 1936. And the trophy lives in my shop!

[sny]

Wow that is really neat. Great article! And those Chevron tires are pretty neat too. Thanks for posting. I'm going to look up some old maps and see if I can figure out what roads were around back then.

[sny]

Wow that is really neat. Great article! And those Chevron tires are pretty neat too. Thanks for posting. I'm going to look up some old maps and see if I can figure out what roads were around back then.

.

Wow roads have changed a lot since then. Here's a 1939 Washington road map. Looking at the towns he went through he pretty much traveled what is today Interstate 5. Google maps says I could do the journey in about 21 hours. No fun in that though. I5 is boring and gets horrible south of Lake Shasta. Guess I'll just make my own route up from Blaine to TJ and stop off at landmarks that still exist from the 1930's.

1939-Washington.jpg